Method and apparatus for determining and/or improving high power reliability in thin film resonator devices, and a thin film resonator device resultant therefrom
First Claim
1. A method for determining reliability of an electronic device having an operational frequency band, comprising:
- applying an input power at a frequency to the device;
changing the frequency of the applied input power in a specified frequency range, so that the input power is applied to the operational frequency band of the device; and
determining a measure of reliability for the device.
11 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The effects of electromigration have been shown to lead to damage of metal electrodes of electronic devices such as thin film resonator (TFR) devices in only a few hours, for a test input power that is within the operational range of these devices. It has been determined that this failure is sensitive to the frequency of the input power. The present invention provides a method and apparatus for determining high power reliability in electronic devices, so as to enable an accurate determination of the failure time of the electronic device, and hence projected lifetime. This determination is independent from the frequency of an input power applied to the electronic device as part of the method for testing the device. Based on the above results, a TFR device has been developed, which includes a protective or electromigration-reducing layer such as titanium being deposited atop an electrode of the device. The TFR device with the modified electrode structure can operate at higher power levels and has a longer operational lifetime than what is currently available.
75 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method for determining reliability of an electronic device having an operational frequency band, comprising:
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applying an input power at a frequency to the device;
changing the frequency of the applied input power in a specified frequency range, so that the input power is applied to the operational frequency band of the device; and
determining a measure of reliability for the device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An apparatus for determining reliability of an electronic device having an operational frequency band, comprising:
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an RF source for applying an input power at a frequency to the device;
a function generator for changing the frequency of the applied input power in a specified frequency range, so that the input power is applied to the operational frequency band of the device; and
a multimeter for measuring the power through the device so as to determine a time to device failure. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification